It's Alive! DC's New 52 Review #1: "Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E."

For reasons I can't quite explain, the story of Frankenstein has always been one of my true literary and artistic obsessions. I first fell in love with Mary Shelley's original novel in college, so much so that I made it the focus of my undergrad honors thesis, when I adapted the book into an original musical called "Mortal Flaw." I made it as far as a read-through workshop at a local bookstore, but never fully finished writing the music for it and, since then, there has been another Frankenstein musical that's made it to NYC. Nevertheless, my Frankenstein script is one of my prized possessions and one of the things I'd grab in a fire.

I have collected a number of adaptations of Frankenstein both in print and on film, so it was a no-brainer for me to pick up DC Comics' "Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E" when I saw it as part of the new comic line's reboot. For those of you that are true comic book followers, I ask for your forgiveness in terms of my ignorance about the histories of these characters and their stories in the DC universe prior to the relaunches. Please know that I am vaguely aware of some of these characters and titles from the past but am too ignorant to the details to speak intelligently about them. So consider my reviews to be as if from the perspective of a brand new comic book reader, even though I've been reading comics for most of my life. I'm just not that obsessive about the details of who wrote what and who appeared as a guest in which crossover story, etc. I'll save those details for someone who truly knows what they are talking about. I respect them too much to try to imitate them.

With that out of the way, and knowing that this Frankenstein character did appear prior to the New 52, I can also tell you that the writer of this series has been a guy named Jeff Lemire, who also writes the series "Animal Man," one of my favorite unexpected surprises in my recent reading experiences and one you'll read about in an upcoming post. For issue #10, Lemire handed the writing duties over to Matt Kindt, though Lemire's name still appears on the cover and I hardly noticed the changing in staffing until I took a close look. The chief artist on the book is Alberto Ponticelli.

Probably the first thing the casual reader would want to know is: what the hell is "S.H.A.D.E."? Shade stands for Super Human Advanced Defense Executive. Frankenstein is an agent for this organization, and I think the back story goes that he was reanimated to serve in World War II (there's a sub-plot in one of these issues where he's been in Vietnam to help fight). Frankenstein has been implanted with computer chip that allows him to mentally access S.H.A.D.E.net, the computer system for the organization. One of the most distinct features of the advanced technology S.H.A.D.E. possesses is that members must teleport into S.H.A.D.E.'s headquarters by shrinking down in order to fit into the base, called the Ant Farm, a 3-inch, indestructible globe that can travel around the world. The shrink and teleportation technology was created by a S.H.A.D.E. scientist named Ray Palmer. It's important to note that Palmer was previously known in the DC Universe as the superhero The Atom, though this book has not alluded to that yet in 10 issues, so it's hard to know if they're starting that story over, too, or if it just hasn't come up yet.

One of the funniest parts of #1 is learning that Frankenstein's "father," the one who gives him his orders and repairs him, generates a new host body every decade or so and had decided this time to appear as a young girl in pigtails. This adds humor to the book not only due to the disconnect between what Father says and how he looks, but also because of how uncomfortable Frankenstein is with it.

We also learn in issue #1 that Frankenstein's bride, Lady Frankenstein, is a S.H.A.D.E. agent and that the two are estranged. This Bride has an extra set of arms but is in many ways based on James Whale's film creation for his famous sequel. In the first issue, Frankenstein navigates his strained relationship with his wife and is begrudgingly introduced to the Creature Commandos, a field team put together by S.H.A.D.E. to back him. A few of these creatures are loosely based on the Wolfman, Mummy and a vampire, though look more freakish than the versions of these characters we're all familiar with.

It's not my intention to go into every little plot nuance of the first 10 issues of this book (or any of the other books I'll review), because my postings are not meant to replace the actual reading experience. So I'll summarize here. The first four issues make up the opening storyline, called "War of the Monsters," in which Frankenstein and the Creature Commandos take on...you guessed it...some other monsters (and a lot of them...and how's that for a vague and unprofessional summary?). In issue #5, Frankenstein faces O.M.A.C., the star of his own DC series and a kindred spirit to Frank in that he also is a being in a terrifying body, sharing a sense of entrapment and a lack of humanity. Amidst their battle, O.M.A.C. actually cries out for help, but then teleports out of the battle with one of Frankenstein's arms.

In issue #6, there are two important developments. One is that the "humanids" who are manufactured daily by S.H.A.D.E. to run the ant farm begin to think independently and threaten revolt. These drones only last for 24 hours but threaten the base. The other finds Frank and his gang in Vietnam, where he's to meet back up with Colonel Quantum, a fellow mutant fighting partner during the war in 1969 who has remained there in hiding and poses a threat. I personally found this to be the start of a new emotional depth to the series. This storyline, "The Siege of S.H.A.D.E. City," continues into the next issue, which focuses on the containing of the revolting humanids.

I was on the fence about whether or not I was truly "into" this title until I got to issue #8, which was the turning point for me. Up to that point, I maintained a connection to this title thanks to Lemire's occasional references to the Frankenstein mythos, with lines of dialogue referring to everything from "Paradise Lost" to Whale's films. But with issue #8, the artwork got crisper and the story took on unusual emotional depth and complexity as Frankenstein and Lady Frankenstein were made aware of the fact that a child they produced was still living. In this issue, Frank addresses many of the big themes of Shelley's original novel, and the couple head to Castle Frankenstein and Victor's original laboratory where they are reunited with their son. But it is a complicated and painful reunion with terrible results, and I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. One thing I will mention is that it causes Lady Frankenstein to leave her post as a S.H.A.D.E. agent.

Issue #9 features another character crossover with Lemire's Animal Man and the mysterious Rot faced in that series, and issue #10 begins to set up another adventure under the direction of the book's new writer, called "Son of Satan's Ring."

Though I'm not sure where this series is going and whether or not I'll stay interested, I have to admit that the stories featuring Frankenstein's return to Vietnam and his confrontation with his son are reason enough for me to continue on past issue #10 with "Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E." The book is often visually chaotic when compared to more classically drawn comic books, but it's also frequently funny. And my understanding of the Frankenstein mythology makes me enjoy those fleeting moments more when the writers tap into that.

I'm not going to do a star rating for these...just a status update:

The fate of "Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E."? WILL KEEP READING